January 02, 2019

ROI on resume ROI

Do you think of your resume as an investment? Do you think of yourself as an employer's investment?

When we create a professional resume that tells your career story and conveys your value in a clear and compelling way, you're investing in your future. You're also investing in a way to demonstrate to an employer that YOU are a good investment for their company.

Ergo, the “return on investment” (ROI) double whammy.

Your return on your investment in your professional resume is multifaceted. What you get:

Generation of more job interviews with a document that’s optimized for search engines and human readers.

All of these add up to your enhanced ability to convince the employer that you are the right person for the job. In turn, you are making the employer's job easier. How so?

Corporate hiring decision makers are nervous about their ROI when they select a candidate. A bad hire erodes their credibility and costs the company substantial money - in cost-of-hire, training & development, lost productivity and morale, cost of dismissal and replacement, etc. It also exposes the company to unnecessary risk.

What are the three biggest questions in the interviewer's mind?

Do I like you?

Can you do the job?

Will you fit in?

For every asked question, there are as many - or more - unspoken concerns. "Is he sane?" "Is she destructive?"

"Is he/she a liar, a thief, a criminal ...?" In other words, "Is this person a potential saboteur of our organization (intentional or unintentional)?"

You can put the interviewer's mind at ease about the ROI of hiring you. How?

Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Research the company, its culture and mission, its challenges, its competitors and the industry.

Before the interview, do your best to find out what the hiring manager is REALLY looking for in the right person for the job. This may differ from the published job ad. If you can't determine this prior to your meeting, then make it the first question you ask, early in the meeting. Customize your presentation accordingly.

Develop your specific value proposition - how you can and will help this employer make money - with the company’s vision and values in mind.

Practice your delivery in front of the mirror, on video, with a friend or family member and/or with your coach.

Perform.

Be "likable" - through appropriate attire/grooming, good handshake, eye contact, social and business etiquette, courtesy to everyone you encounter, good posture, body language. Remember the most important thing you wear to the meeting is your smile – and the air of confidence of a well prepared professional.

Deliver your value proposition - how you can and will help the company make money - with its vision and values in mind.

Demonstrate why you're a good fit for not only the job but the corporation's culture.

Demonstrate your motivation, your interest in the organization, your own value system, high standards and willingness to contribute. If appropriate, you can touch on community involvement or other activities that might provide a glimpse into who you are. Avoid religious, political or too-personal topics.

Ask about the timeline for next steps. Confirm/assert your interest in the position. "Ask for the order."

Be sure to collect the business cards (printed or virtual) of everyone with whom you meet. Remember to email a customized thank you note to each. "Double hit" your emailed thank you by following up with a snailmailed note, if appropriate.

Immediate and ongoing ROI and steps for you to take

You will generate an immediate and ongoing ROI in your professional resume. Once you and your coach complete your basic resume, consider it a fluid document to be revisited and adjusted according to opportunities you decide to target.

Analyze job ads and continually upgrade your resume by adding matching "keywords" and tweaking your document as needed. Each time you do this, consider this your new basic resume. Always keep track of which version you send to each employer. An easy way to do this is to add the employer's name to your resume filename, e.g., Taylor Jones resume ABC Company.doc.